Leakproof construction of pipes, tanks, and the like



March 13, 1951 c. DOBELL LEAKPROOF CONSTRUCTION OF PIPES, TANKS, AND THELIKE Filed May 12, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- W I I I I l l b l uldl l l l IIaweaai'or: (108 2023 05933, )1 r 10am iibwnegs C. DOBELL March 13, 1951LEAKPROOF CONSTRUCTION OF PIPES, TANKS, AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed May 12, 1944 L mgzou 171005933,

fli i'orneys within and extending about the structure.

Patented Mar. 13, 1951 LEAKPROOF CONSTRUCTION OF PIPES, TANKS, AND THELIKE Ourzon Dobell, New York, N. Y., assignor to Preload Enterprises,Inc., a. corporation of Delaware Application May 12, 1944, Serial No.535,353

This invention relates to an improved construction of leakproof pipes,tanks, poles, piles and the like particularly adapted to convey, storeor exclude liquid and gaseous fluids and, while the invention isparticularly applicable to cementitious constructions, it is also whollyadaptable to considerably wider applications employing other materials.The primary requirement of structures of this nature is that they shallbe and remain leakproof against the escape of the contained fluids andone object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved structureof this nature which not only fulfills this requirement but which alsois adapted to be manufactured at great convenience and with minimumrequirements and expense.

In its preferred form, my invention contemplates a pipe, tank or thelike incorporating a flexible leakproof diaphragm within its wallconstructed from a ribbon of liquid-impervious material wrapped inhelical overlapping relation" cementitious construction as in Patents2,031,057

and 2,315,894, have heretofore been placed and held under apredetermined compression by being wrapped with round wire under tensionand the wire wrapping has been-thereafter covered with a bonding layerof concrete, all for the purpose-of preventing the wall from expansioncrackingand thus maintaining it against leakage. A further and veryimportant feature of my invention contemplates the wrapping of thesestructures with fiat or ribbon wire in overlapping relat on andtensioned to place the structure under the required compression, theoverlapped wrapping not only serving the prestressing function butfurthermore providing, a continuous diaphragm While the ribbon employedwill ordinarily be relatively thin and flexible, as steel of safetyrazor blade thickness, whereby it will under tension make close contactat the overlapping joints, it may be desirable in some cases to providea suitable sealing materialat such joints, all as hereinafter 5 Claims.(01. 72-14 more fully described. Furthermore, since round wire is moreeconomical than flat ribbon wire it may in some cases be desirable touse round wire in association with ribbon stock to provide the requiredprestrcssing strength and permit considerable savings in the amount offiat stock required and my invention contemplates the combining of thesetwo types of reinforcement. .In

any case, the final wrappings will preferably be covered and sealedwithin a coating of suitable material which can be of a cementitiousnature .or of a liquid plastic or paint-like composition. The productionof such an improved construction for the purpose described comprises afurther object of the invention. 1 v v lhese and other features of theinvention will be best understood and appreciated from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments thereof selected for purpose ofillustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan sectional view of a tank embodying myinvention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the tank in vertical section, s

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation with portions broken away, Fig.i is a view like Fig. 2 but illustrating a modification,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation illustrating another form of the invention,

Fig. 6 i a vertical viewtaken on line 6,B of Fig.5,

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary front elevation partially broken away andillustrating a further modified form of the invention,

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8.'8*of Fi '7, V V

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front elevation of a modified construction.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3 of the drawings, ,ID indicates thewall of atankillustrated as formed by projecting liquid cementit ous com ositiononto a form I2, as in Patent 2,315,894. Th primary purpose of the tankis to contain liquids and the patented tank is handed circumferentiallyby rods in tension placing the tank under compression whereby preventingcracking of the concrete and resultant leakage. My inventioncontemplates 'the circumferential bandin of the wall In by a bon willpreferably be of high tensile strength and applied under tension placingthe tank walls under compression, sheet steel of safety razor bladethickness being preferred although other metals and suitable plastics inribbon form are adapted to the forming of a continuous leak-proofdiaphragm The adjacent fconvtolutions of the ribbon are overlapped at l6and in any event will 'be under sufficient tension to bring and hold theoverlapping faces in firm contact. Also the overlapping will ordinarilybe greatest at the bottom where the liquid pressure is greatest and maygradually diminish upwardly. In the preferred form of the invention,steel ribbon is employed and it is wrapped onto the tank wall under atension placing the wall in compression as in said patent. the ribbonthereby serving the two functions of 1) prestressing the tank as is doneby the banding wire or rods in said patent and (2) providin a continuousdiaphragm on and covering the wall. Following the banding operation, thediaphragm is preferably covered with a coating it of waterproofingmaterial. This coating can be a cementitious composition or a plasticorpaintapplied pneumatically or with ab'rush. In its complete form thewrapped ribbon provides .2. diaphragm within the wall and serves thefunctions of reinforcing the wall, forming a barrier to the escape offluids through the wall, and preferably holding the wall under apredetermined compres- .sion.

The waterproof coating IB bonds tightly to the diaphragm and preventsthe contact of air or moisture therewith whereby maintaining thediaphragm against rust and deterioration. It may also be desirable insome cases to provide .a coating on the inner face of the diaphragm forthe same purpose. This coating can be applied to the ribbon as thelatter is applied to the wall .or suitable coating material can beapplied to the wall in advance of the ribbon. In Fig. 41 haveillustrated the wall as provided with a coating 29 of plasticpreservative preferably of a bitumastic .nature. The ribbon 22 asapplied to the wall directly contacts this coating which forms a rustpreventative against the inner face of the diaphragm and also aids inproviding a tight seal at the joints. The ribbon is otherwise appliedand covered in the manner above described in connection with Figs. 1-3.

While, as above described, the ribbon will be applied under sufiicienttension to form a firm contact at the overlapping areas it may bedesirable in some cases to provide a suitable material between theconvolutions at the overlapping ioints to form a moisture-proof seal.Suchmaterial will preferably be of a nature to bond or seal to theoverlapping faces and can comprise suitable paint, plastic, solder,sulfur or like compositions capable of forming .a sealed joint. Aplastic known as Tygon has the property of bonding to and forming astrong sealing ,joint between overlapped steel surfaces which are heldtogether under pressure durin the setting of the Tygon coating. employedwill preferablybe applied to the overlapping area of one orbothsurfacesof the ribbon as the latter is being applied 'to the wall so as tosandwich a coating of the material between the overlapping surfaces. Thesurfaces are thereafter held together under pressure as above described.

.In Fig. 5 Ihave illustrated the application of a coating 30 of solder,sulfur or like fusible material to the overlapping area of one face ofthe" The Tygon or other bonding material Lil,

ribbon 32 as the latter is wound onto the wall 34. The ribbon is Wrappedin the direction of the arrow and heat is applied progressively to theoutside of the ribbon at the coated area as the wrapping progresses. Theheat can be conveniently applied by contacting a hot iron and moving italong the ribbon in the direction of the arrow as indicated at 38. "Theheat is adapted to fuse the coating and effect a firm and tight bond atthe joint.

It will be apparent that when the ribbon is to provide a substantialcompression of the wall it must have relatively more overlap, asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, and it will be apparent that this requiresthe use of a relatively greater amount of ribbon stock. Such stock ismore expensive than round wireand for this reason it is desirable insome cases to combine the use of both ribbon stock and round wire, theformer providing a diaphragm and part of the compression and the latterproviding the balance of the required compression. In Figs. 7 and 8 Ihave illustrated this combination. The wall All is first wrapped withthe ribbon 42 with sufficient overlap to provide the continuousdiaphragm, and

one or more wrappings of round wire fi l are thereafter applied allunder a tension placing the tank under the required compression. Thewrappingsare thereafter covered with a coating 36 in the manner abovedescribed. It will be apparent that such construction effectssubstantial savings since it employs a substantial amount of the cheaperround wire in lieu of the more expensive ribbon. 'While I haveillustrated the wrappings of the round wire over and onto the diaphragm,I desire it to be understood that the construction can employ the use ofthe round wire directly onto the wall, the ribbon stock being thereafterwrapped about and covering the round wire convo'lutions.

While the ribbon stock will preferably be wrapped in one continuouspiece helically and in overlapping relation, as above described, it ispossible to use independent bands 58 and wrap them consecutively intooverlapping relation to provide a continuous diaphragm, as illustratedin Fig. .9. In such construction, each band will be tensioned tightlyonto the wall and its two ends will be brought and secured inoverlapping relation by riveting, soldering or in any convenient manner,as illustrated at 52.

I have herein ilustrated and described only certain forms and featuresof the invention and it will be understood that such specific disclosureis presented only by way of example, the scope of the invention beingdetermined by the claims appended hereto. It is especially noted that,whereas I have herein illustrated and described my invention onconnection with a tank, the invention is by no means limited thereto norto any specific object, shape or material. Ihe wall of the tank or pipeto which the ribbon is applied is of annular configuration in the sensethat it is continuous but not necessarily circular.

Having now described and i lustrated my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A cylindrical container comprising an an.- nular wall of a thicknessto sustain substantial compression, and ribbon stock ofliquid-impervious material of high tensile strength wrapped inoverlapping relation about and under substantial tension in contact withthe outer face of the wall and forming a'continuous diaphragm'over andenclosing said face and placing the wall in prestressed compression.

2. A cylindrical container comprising an annular wall of a thickness tosustain substantial compression, a ribbon of liquid-impervious materialof high tensile strength wrapped in helical overlapping relation aboutand under substantial tension in contact with the outer face of the walland forming a continuous diaphragm over and enclosing said face andholding the wall in compression, and sealing means between theoverlapping faces of the ribbon.

3. A cylindrical container comprising an annular Wall of cementitiousmaterial, and a relatively thin steel ribbon of high tensile strengthwrapped in helical overlapping relation about and under substantialtension against the outer face of the wall and forming a continuousdiaphragm over and enclosing said face and placing the wall inprestressed compression.

4. A cylindrical container comprising an annular wall of a thickness tosustain substantial compression, a ribbon stock of liquid-imperviousmaterial of high tensile strength wrapped in overlapping relation aboutand under substantial tension in contact with the outer face of the walland forming a continuous diaphragm over and enclosing said face andplacing-the wall in prestressed compression, round wire undersubstantial tension wrapped helically over the diaphragm andincreasing'said prestressed compression, and means providing a covercoating over the wire and diaphragm.

5. A cylindrical member of cementitious material having a cylindricalouter face, a steel ribbon of high tensile strength wrapped in helicaloverlapping relation under substantial tension on said face about themember and forming a continuous diaphragm thereon enclosing the memberat said face and placing the member in prestressed compression, and asealing cover of plastic material over the diaphragm.

CURZON DOBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,149,224 Sill Aug. 10, 19152,035,662 Maney Mar. 31, 1936 2,215,361 Miller et a1 Sept. 17, 19402,236,107 Miller et a1 Mar. 25, 1941 2,291,823 Mickelson et al Aug. 4,1942. 2,319,105 Billner May 11, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date46 Great Britain Nov. 12, 1892

